MAJURO, Marshall Islands — The suspended American chief justice
of the Marshall Islands High Court gets his day in court today.

Charles Henry, who has been suspended since last October, will
be arraigned on 30 criminal charges, most of which relate to allegations that he
misused government travel and housing money. He is also facing one libel charge
that claims that he falsely accused the Marshall Islands of human rights abuses
in a letter to American Sen. John McCain that subsequently received coverage in
the Baltimore Sun and other U.S. media.

Henry was originally charged with seven counts of cheating,
three of which were subsequently dismissed. The Marshall Islands earlier this
month filed an amended complaint increasing the charges to 30.

MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, April 28) - The United
Nations Commission on Human Rights has been criticized by two human rights
groups for failing to demand justice for victims of atrocities in East Timor.

Amnesty International and the East Timor Action Network have
described as weak, a recent statement from the commission about Indonesia's
trials of suspects accused of taking part in violence in 1999.

Amnesty International said the statement should have condemned
Indonesia for failing to bring perpetrators to justice, and should have called
for alternatives measures, such as an international tribunal.

The US-based East Timor Action Network says the commission has
turned its back on East Timorese people.

There was an organised campaign of intimidation before East
Timor voted for independence in August 1999, and a revenge campaign afterwards.

PAPEETE, Tahiti (Tahitipresse, April 24) - A 57-year-old
Tahitian fisherman who miraculously survived 118 days drifting between French
Polynesia and the Cook Islands in an eight-meter (26-foot) fishing boat, has
published a book about his adventure.

" Si loin du monde " (So Far from the World) is the name of the
book published by Tauaea Raioaoa, better known as Tavae, who tells how he set
out from Tahiti on March 15 and miraculously ended up safe and sound on the
island of Aitutaki in the Cook Islands on July 10.

A quote from famous adventure novelist Jack London illustrates
the cover of Tavae’s book: "The most beautiful tales always begin with
shipwrecks."

Tavae writes: "During my long life as a fisherman, my boat never
broke down. I couldn’t imagine what it was like. But at that moment I wasn’t
worried. Since I was born, I spent more time on the ocean than on land, and when
the sea tried to...

CNMI, SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, April 28) - The
Commonwealth Election Commission and the Attorney General’s Office said there
may be a special election for the replacement of Sen. Ricardo S. Atalig, who was
convicted Friday for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 26 counts of wire
fraud.

"Because he completed less than half of his four-year term,
there may have to be a special election," Assistant Attorney General James D.
Livingstone told Variety on Friday.

Atalig, R-Rota, was first elected in 1993 and was re-elected in
1997 and in 2001.

Election Commission Executive Director Gregorio Sablan said the
Senate Committee on Rules has to declare a vacancy and, in writing, request Gov.
Juan N. Babauta to announce a special election.

"Thirty to 60 days after the issuance of the governor’s
proclamation, the special election will be held," Sablan told Variety.

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (SBIC, April 27) – The Solomon Islands
government is set to work on what it considers the five pillars to economic
recovery of a shattered economy devastated by the ruins of two years ethnical
violence.

Addressing a seminar by the Economic Association of Solomon
Islands in Honiara on Friday, Minister for National Reform and Planning, Nollen
Leni, said these pillars will form the basis of full economic recovery under
government's National Economic Recovery and Development Plan 2003 to 2005.

They include the restoration of law and order, good governance,
fiscal and financial stability, public sector reform, support for productive
sector and infrastructure development and provision of social services.

Leni said that government's 2002 national economic recovery
plan, which was presented at the government and Donor countries meeting in June
last year wa, hampered by constraints....

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.